Houstonia: Our 4 Favorite Vintage RV Resorts Across The Country

Resort hotels are nice, but how about winding down a vacation day with a James Dean flick while sipping a martini inside a 1951 Royal Mansion trailer?

Nearly 100 years ago, wary travelers started slipping off of Route 80 in Bisbee, Arizona, just north of the Mexico border, to rest at Thompson’s Motor Court. It’s now the Shady Dell, where instead of staying in the RV or trailer you pulled up in, you can sleep in a vintage model from the 1940s or ’50s. “The Shady Dell is like spending a night in an antique store or a museum where you can just slow down,” says Justin Luria, who’s owned the place since 2007. “The pace of life is much slower.”

Visitors have their choice of thirteen vessels, from trailers like that Royal Mansion or a 1955 Kropf with a full living room and kitchen to a 1947 yacht and a ’47 Airporter bus that’s been transformed into tiki heaven with a hand-carved bar and Polynesian decor. Each one has its own patio space, while the interiors are outfitted with authentic or reproduction pieces like working phonograph players, televisions, board games, and magazines. “People love the aesthetic of being in an old trailer,” says Luria. “It’s kind of a hip and cool thing.”

Check out the complete list here!